review by Julie Patron
North by Northwest 1959
Rewatched Jun 23, 2012
Julie’s review:
There's something about North by Northwest that I just don't like. I recognize that it's a great film; it takes the same basic concept as The 39 Steps, builds it out, polishes it up, and adds Cary Grant. Sounds like a pretty foolproof recipe to me.
But both times I've seen this one, something has left me cold. I felt more that I should like it, instead of actually liking it. I think that something may be Eva Marie Saint. This film really hinges on the relationship between Roger Thornhill and Eve Kendall, and I never get to the point where I want Roger to end up with her. Whereas with The 39 Steps, I adored watching Donat and Carroll together.
So my personal quibble aside, North by Northwest is still very entertaining, very funny, very exciting. Cary Grant is at his most charming. The set pieces are bigger and the locations better. I enjoyed reading about how Hitch wasn't authorized to film at the UN, and so had to conceal a camera in the back of a truck to get some of the external footage. And the way that Hitch builds the tension in the crop duster scene is excellent - establishing time and space very clearly in order to build tension.
A quote from Hitchcock in Hitchcock - Truffaut displays his brilliance - "I'll tell you how the idea came about [for the crop duster scene]. I found I was faced with the old cliche situation: the man who is put on the spot, probably to be shot. Now, how is this usually done? A dark night at a narrow intersection of the city. The waiting victim standing in a pool of light under the street lamp. The cobbles are 'washed with the recent rains.' A close-up of a black cat slinking along against the wall of a house. A shot of a window, with a furtive face pulling back the curtain to look out. The slow approach of a black limousine, et cetera, et cetera. Now, what was the antithesis of a scene like this? No darkness, no pool of light, no mysterious figures in windows. Just nothing. Just bright sunshine and a blank, open countryside with barely a house or tree in which any lurking menaces could hide."
Really digging your Hitchcock reviews. I'm a fan of Hitch's but will admit that I don't know as much as the bigger fans out there.
I kind of know what you mean about their relationship. There just feels like there's more distance between them than there should be or something. I'm not sure. I think she's very good in this, that said.
I also think it has some of the best comedy dialogue of any of his films. I think people forget that his films could quite often be VERY funny. "No they didn't give me a chaser!" is utter comedy genius.
I love how HItch game Lehman a list of random ideas that he wanted to do and told him to make a story out of it. It must have been so much fun coming up with crazy stuff, and I think that fun factor is definitely brought to life in the movie itself. I can watch it every single day and it never gets old.
I'd be stupid to pass up the opportunity to see this on the big screen, wouldn't I? July 18, here I come.
@Mr aw thanks, that's awesome to hear. I wish I had even more time (and motivation, honestly) to go back and re-read all those Hitchcock books I have sitting on my shelf.
@Steve you know I was thinking about this more and I think I found her to just be a bit chilly, and she never warms up. Whereas Cary Grant is so effortlessly charming, yes Eva is beautiful and can play the dual role really well, but I didn't find her to have any spark. And yea, this is screwball comedy-level wittiness. So many true laugh out loud moments. I found every thing about the writing to be top notch, especially the hilarious lines. I also really like Hitch's dark humor - The Trouble with Harry and Frenzy are my favorites for that.
@Ryan that's super interesting, I didn't know that. In his convo with Truffaut, he does talk about a scene he was hoping to be able to work in - as he's working his way across the country, Hitch thought it would be great to have Cary Grant stop in Detroit. He imagined a scene in a car assembly line, where he is standing at the end, opens a car door, and a body falls out.
@Travis it's really wonderful on a big screen. This is one of his grander films, and there's nothing like that first shot of Mount Rushmore, all huge nd majestic.